ORCID iDI am due up for vaccination in the very near future. This is good news. But it’s tempered.
The advice for those with immunodeficiencies (PID [primary] or SID [secondary]) like mine:
“We would recommend that patients with PID and SID are vaccinated when this becomes available to them through the national vaccination program.”
“There is no data on COVID19 vaccination efficacy or duration of protection from COVID-19 infection in patients with PID or SID. While B cells respond to infection or vaccination by producing antibodies to the virus, T cells (another immune cell) are known to offer another form of protection against viruses called cellular immunity. Thus, theoretically, patients with a B cell defect (unable to produce antibodies) could develop cellular (T cell) derived protection against COVID-19 when receiving the vaccination. This is the same rationale for why the annual influenza vaccination is recommended for PID and SID patients.”
“As part of UKPIN collaboration we are running a study (COV-AD study) investigating the immune response to COVID19 vaccine mounted by patients with PID or SID. More information is now posted at PID UK - COVID-19 research update.”
This is all to say that even with the vaccine, it is not clear how much protection those with immunodeficiencies will garner. The advice is, even once I have been vaccinated, I should remain as isolated as possible.